Moscatelli-basketball-shot

Muhlhausen-basketball

Muhlhausen-basketball

GUELPH — It’ll be an emotional time Saturday afternoon for the Guelph Gryphon seniors who are preparing for their final home game in Ontario university basketball play.

While the Gryphon men have no fifth-year players, Jon Moscatelli is the lone fourth-year Gryphon who is sure he won’t be back for his final year of eligibility next season. Forward Kevin Cameron was undecided while guard Michael Petrella is expected back.

For the women, guard Kara Muhlhausen is in her fifth season of eligibility and won’t be back while fourth-year guard Alex Yallin is not planning on returning as she’ll be through school.

“I’m excited for it and sad at the same time,” Moscatelli says. “There’s going to be a lot of emotions, but it’s time for it to come and I’m looking forward to it.”

Moscatelli’s time in Guelph was marred by injuries that limited his time during his first two seasons, but he’s played the majority games of the games in the last two seasons. This season he’s averaging 14.4 points and three rebounds per game.

“There were a lot of good years, I learned a lot,” he says. “I grew as a person, not just basketball-wise.

“Basketball is a certain aspect of life, but, overall, there’s a lot more than just basketball in life. I’m really glad with what happened and the way it went and I wouldn’t change anything.”

Despite the Italian name, Moscatelli is from France, born in a town an hour from Dijon. He came to Canada when he was 14 and played basketball in the Toronto area before enrolling at the U of G.

“I’m planning going back to Europe, to France, to play basketball,” he said.

But he’ll always remember his time in the Gryphon red and yellow.

“It’s more the teammates that I will remember the most,” he said. “I played in high school with some really good players, but none had the team atmosphere we had here. The last couple of years have been really, really good team-wise.”

The Gryphs host the Windsor Lancers Thursday at 4 p.m. A Guelph win will secure a playoff berth.

The Gryphs enter the weekend in sole possession of the sixth and final playoff spot in the West Division at 9-12 with only Saturday’s game to go. The Western Mustangs (10-10), who play games Friday and Saturday at home against the division-leading Lakehead Thunderwolves (16-4), are fifth while the Brock Badgers (8-13) and Waterloo Warriors (8-13) are tied for seventh.

If Guelph and Western finish tied for fifth, Western wins the tiebreaker thanks to two wins over the Gryphons this season.

If Guelph and Brock finish tied for sixth, Brock wins the tiebreaker thanks to a 10-point triumph over the Gryphs Jan. 26. Guelph beat Brock by three points Wednesday at St. Catharines.

If Guelph and Waterloo finish tied for sixth, Guelph wins the tiebreaker thanks to winning both regular-season games between the teams.

If Guelph, Brock and Waterloo finish in a three-way tie for sixth, the Gryphons win the tiebreaker thanks to the split with Brock. Guelph swept Waterloo and Waterloo swept Brock.

Saturday’s 2 p.m. game against Windsor means nothing in the standings for the Gryphons. They will finish sixth in the West Division and begin playoffs on the road next week.

However, the game will mean plenty to Muhlhausen and Yallin.

“When I played at college, I had my last game there, too, but this is different because it’s my fifth year of eligibility,” Muhlhausen said. She transferred to Guelph following two years at Belleville’s Loyalist College and is in her third season with the Gryphs. “It’s kind of hitting me now, it’s the end of the road.

“It’s gone by really fast. Even college, I was there for two years but it seemed like longer.”

“I try not to think about it too much because it would probably effect how I play, a lot of emotions which I would want to avoid at this point,” said Yallin, the third of four sisters, all guards, who have been with the Gryphons. “It’s definitely scary, I don’t like the feeling.”

Stephanie Yallin graduated in 2007, the year before Alex started attending the U of G. Kris Yallin graduated in 2009 after playing two seasons with Stephanie and two with Alex. Andrea Yallin is a first-year guard with the Gryphons this season.

“They introduce you to a lot,” Alex said of being on a team and at school with an older sister. “It was definitely one of the highlights of being here.”

For the graduating Gryphons, this season has been one of their best as the team turned things around a bit under first-year coach Tom O’Brien. The Gryphs were 2-20 and out of the playoffs last season. A glance of the Gryphon website at the team photos shows the difference in the two seasons. There are smiles aplenty in this season’s photo, but none to be seen in last year’s photo.

“It’s been great so far,” Muhlhausen said. “I couldn’t ask for a better last season.”

“This one has really stood out,” Yallin said. “It’s really been a great year, it’s a good one to end on, for sure.

And, like Moscatelli, both will cherish the friendships they made with Gryphon teammates for years to come.